Christ Church

Parable of the Sower

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Dr. Michael McClenahan is an Irish Presbyterian minister and Professor of Systematic Theology at Union Theological College. He has degrees in Jurisprudence, Theology, and Ecclesiastical History from the University of Oxford, where he wrote his doctoral dissertation on the theology of Jonathan Edwards. He is the author of Jonathan Edwards and Justification by Faith (Ashgate, 2012). This academic year he is the holder of the New Saint Andrews Lectureship.

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Apostles Creed 10: Was Crucified, Died, and Was Buried

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What we now know as the Apostles Creed descended from an earlier form of the creed, known as the Old Roman Symbol. The beginning of the creed dates from as early as the second century. We do not have any direct evidence that it was penned by any of the apostles, but it is an admirable summary of the apostolic teaching.

Introduction

The word crux helps us understand when we need to express the importance of getting to the crux of a matter—and crux comes from the Latin word for cross. Nowhere is this more important that in discussing the death of Jesus, the salvation of the world.

The Text

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord.  He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the virgin, Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.  He descended into Hades.  On the third day He rose again from the dead, ascended into Heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.  I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Summary of the Text

“For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2).
The death of Jesus was an historical event, as we emphasized last week. But if the death of Jesus were simply one more historical event, situated among numerous others, then this determination of Paul’s to emphasize that event alone would be curious and nonsensical. Why talk about this one thing, when there are so many other things that have happened?
The answer has to do with the radical nature of Christ’s death. The word radical comes from radix, which means root. The root principle is the cross, the intersection at the crossroads is the cross, the foundation and cornerstone is the cross. It is therefore possible to talk about Christ and Him crucified in relationship to absolutely anything else in the world and to do so without changing the subject. It is possible to move from the death of Jesus to any subject whatever, and to do so without lurching.

Died, and Was Buried

Let me begin with the aftermath of the cross—the death of Jesus. Jesus had a true human body, capable of dying. When He was nailed to the cross, He was in the process of dying. He died. He was not an apparition that seemed to die. He was not a true human being who only appeared to die, fainting from the torture. He was a man who could die, and who under those circumstances did die. The phrase that He was buried underscores this fact. His death was a true death. He was dead and buried. He was buried for three days. This exclamation point is part of the gospel as the apostle Paul recounts it. “how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose . . . ” (1 Cor. 15:3–4).

Was Crucified

There are four aspects of this momentous death which we must consider. We will define and consider each of them in turn. They are redemption, propitiation, co-crucifixion, and reconciliation. These are all described as happening in the cross. We will discuss another aspect of our salvation—justification—when we come to the resurrection (Rom. 4:25).
Redemption is the result of having been purchased or ransomed. Propitiation is the turning aside of wrath. Because of union with Christ, co-crucifixion is how we die when Christ dies. Reconciliation is the establishment of peace where before there was hostility. And the Bible describes all four of these as occurring in the cross of Jesus Christ.

Redemption

The Bible talks about the blood of Jesus as a purchase price, or as a ransom payment. With His blood Jesus purchased men for God (Rev. 5:9). Jesus referred to His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). We have redemption through His blood (Eph. 1:7). Jesus died as a ransom to set us free from the sins we had committed (Heb. 9:15). Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (Gal. 3:13).
Why? He redeemed us so that we could have the promise of the Spirit (Gal. 3:14), so that we might have forgiveness (Eph. 1:7), so that we could have liberation from sexual lust (1 Cor. 6:18-20), and so that we could be freed from actual slavery (1 Cor. 7:13).

Propitiation

The Bible talks about the death of Jesus as absorbing the blow that the wrath of God delivered. When people try to escape the Bible’s teaching on the substitutionary death of Christ, it is this element that often bothers them the most. But Scripture is clear. God sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:10). “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Heb. 2:17, ESV). “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). In order to be just and the one who justifies, God sent Christ to be a propitiation (Rom. 3:25-26).
The word propitiation refers to that which satisfies the wrath of God.

Co-crucifixion

The Bible talks about the death of Jesus as somehow accomplishing a death, a most necessary death, for us. “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead” (2 Cor. 5:14). Paul confesses that he was crucified together with Christ (Gal. 2:20). We are not to boast in anything, except in the cross which crucified the world to us and us to the world (Gal. 6:14). Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh, and all its longings (Gal. 5:24). If we have been baptized, we were baptized into Christ’s death (Rom. 6:3), so that we might be freed from sin (Rom. 6:6-7).

Reconciliation

The Bible talks about how the death of Christ effected a reconciliation between us and God. “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight” (Col. 1:21–22). God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing our trespasses to us (2 Cor. 5:18ff).

All Together

Because the wrath of God fell on us in Christ (propitiation) as the curse of the law, this means we were ransomed from the curse of the law (redeemed) so that we would be separated from everything that came before (co-crucifixion), with the end result that we now have peace with God (reconciliation).

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Establish Your Hearts

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Text: James 5:1-20

Introduction
“How’s your heart?” This was a regular question that my mom asked growing up. In this final chapter, James demonstrates all the care of a parent for his readers. Even though he repeatedly calls his readers “my brothers” James seems to have a fatherly affection for his people and their hearts. And so James returns to much of what he has already covered in the first four chapters. “We’ve talked about this, but do you understand? Is it in your life? Is it in your heart?” His plea is to “Establish you hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand” (5:8).

Corrupting Riches, Corroding Hearts (vs. 1-6)
James begins with a scathing charge to the rich whose wealth is corrupted and corrupting, “Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you” (vs. 2-3). Their wealth itself is rotting away just like their hearts. The hordes of money stockpiled for the future will testify against the rich man on the last day, “The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts” (vs 4). These men have lived in luxury and pleasure. But their consumption is fattening themselves up for the day of slaughter. “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” Jesus asks, “For what can a man give in return for his soul?” (Mk. 8:36-37) Pennies in heaven are worth more than piles of gold in hell. Money is enough to damn your soul, but money can’t save your soul. Who can save?

Patient Hearts (vs. 7-11)
After his prophetic rage against the rich, James turns his pastoral attention to his suffering brothers. “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord” (vs 7). A farmer cannot hurry up the timing of the harvest. He must wait patiently on something that he can not control––rain. Patience deals with time. But patience is not passive, slouched with crossed arms in the back seat. Patience actively accepts that God is working. Establish your heart in confidence that the seed is growing and the rains are coming.

While you wait, don’t grumble with one another because you know that “the Judge is standing at the door” (vs. 9). Suppose you and your siblings are home alone while your mom runs errands and she’s given you some instructions––clean up the toys in the living room and don’t fight. But when the look-out perched on the couch announces a simple statement, “Mom’s coming,” what’s your reaction? My guess is that it depends on your behavior the last couple hours. How do we survive patiently the present suffering? Look to the Old Testament prophets or look to Job for your paradigm of hope (vs. 10-11). Patience is required to see that everything that God the Father gives is a good and perfect gift (1:17). You unwrap a gift and it looks like cancer. But in time, you’ll see that it’s the cancer that brought your brother back to the Lord. Or you unwrap the gift and it looks like being excluded from the cool circle. But with patience you see that this hurt gives you a life-long tenderness for those on the outside. What is the Lord’s purpose in all this? That you may see “how the Lord is compassionate and merciful” (vs. 11).

To Ring True (vs. 12) 
“Honesty is the best policy” is a common expression. James would tweak it to “Honest is the only policy.” Swearing on a stack of bibles or crossing your heart and hoping to die does not make you trustworthy. Doing what you say makes you trustworthy and removes you from condemnation. G.K. Chesterton said, “Above all, I would like to ring true.”

Sickness, Sin, and the Prayer of a Righteous Person (vs. 13-18)
James asks, “Is anyone among you suffering?” Does your mom have colin cancer? Then pray. Are you overwhelmed between the kids, dinner prep, and 4-14 loads of laundry? Then pray. Are you lonely and stuck on the outside of the cliche? Then you can pray. “Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.” If you’re overflowing with the sweet milk of human kindness, then let a psalm fly! “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of he church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.” So what do you do if you find yourself either full of sickness or full of sin? Pray to the one who is able to health both body and soul.

To Save a Soul (vs. 19-20)
James’ final word is an encouragement to seek and save the wandering sinner. A heart established in Lord does what the Lord does. What has Jesus Christ done? The Lord has saved the souls of sinners by covering a multitude of sins. This is love. Is your heart established in the Lord?

 

 

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Apostles Creed 9: He Suffered Under Pontius Pilate

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What we now know as the Apostles Creed descended from an earlier form of the creed, known as the Old Roman Symbol. The beginning of the creed dates from as early as the second century. We do not have any direct evidence that it was penned by any of the apostles, but it is an admirable summary of the apostolic teaching.

Introduction:
This portion of the Creed points to something that is absolutely unique about the Christian faith. Our God is the God of all things, which means that He is the God of history. History matters, which means that historicity matters, which means the name of a Roman prefect, governing the small Roman province of Judea, is part of our foundational confession. Our God is the God of all things, which means that He is the God of history.

The Text:
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the virgin, Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into Hades. On the third day He rose again from the dead, ascended into Heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Summary of the Text:
“I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen” (1 Tim. 6:13–16).

Paul is here giving an earnest charge to Timothy, and he does so in the sight of the God who give life to everything, and in the presence of the same Christ who testified and made a good confession before Pontius Pilate (v. 13). The charge is that Timothy keep Paul’s commandment blamelessly until the Lord comes (v. 14). The Lord will manifest that coming in His good time, He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, King of kings and Lord of lords (v. 15). God alone is the immortal one, He dwells in light that cannot be approached, He whom no one has seen or can see. Honor and dominion are His, and amen to all of it (v. 16).

The juxtaposition is this. Just as Christ made a good confession before a measly Roman provincial governor, so also, a fortiori, Timothy should imitate Him so as to be able to make a good confession in the presence of the only Prince, the King of kings and Lord of lords, the one who represents the only wise God, He who dwells in unapproachable light, the one who possesses eternal honor and dominion. Christ could make the good confession over against Pilate, which He did with His royal silence and His bloody death. But there is no way for us to make a good confession over against God—we must do this in Christ, or not at all. The only refuge from God is to be found in God.

No Brute Facts:
We need to return to something that was said at the beginning, something that falls out of the necessity of a historical foundation for our faith. “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins” (1 Cor. 15:17). It is not enough for this to be a consistent or coherent part of the Christian story, one of the tales we tell in our faith community. It is absolutely necessary that there be consistency between our confession of it as the truth, and the way things actually transpired out in the world.

There have always been certain theologians, too clever by half, who want to spiritualize things like the resurrection, as though we could be saved by an atomized platitude. But this confession about Pontius Pilate brings us crashing into history the way it actually was. Pontius Pilate as a Roman prefect cannot readily be turned into “a spiritual truth.” Try it. No, it is more like what we might call a “pedestrian truth,” and without it, our faith is in tatters.

So all facts are interpreted facts—and God is the ultimate interpreter. All history is interpreted history—with God the ultimate reader of history. This means that Jesus is Lord of all things. Is there then no common ground between the believer and the unbeliever? Well, yes, there is, but only so long as we know that Jesus is the Lord of the common ground.

Suffered Under:
We are saved through the passion of Christ on the cross. The word passion refers to His suffering. We are condemned, together with our sins, in the suffering of Jesus Christ. “Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:26). “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps” (1 Peter 2:21). Christ suffered for us, and that suffering was completed, and was entirely fulfilled at a certain place in the world, on a certain day, at a certain time of day.

“For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Heb. 9:26). In other words, Christ’s sufferings were historical, not perpetual. A perpetual death is a non-efficacious death. “Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate” (Heb. 13:12). Because Christ suffered for you, and because His suffering ended on a particular day, therefore His blood sanctifies you and sets you apart. That is why a gallon and a half of blood could do what an endless river of blood could not do. Christ’s death was infinite in its value, but punctiliar and finite in its application. It is over.

Our old life died when Jesus died (Gal. 2:20; Rom. 6:3). Our new life begins when Jesus emerges from the tomb. He was raised for our justification (Rom. 4:25). He died so that we might die. He lives so that we might live. He lives forever so that we might live forever.

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